Freemuse

28/05/2026

In Malta there is “… an environment where artistic freedom isn’t directly censored, but rather shaped through subtler mechanisms: who gets invited, who gets funded, and who doesn’t. It’s not always about the quality of work, but about alignment, reputation, and tone.”

Freemuse Research Director, Sara Whyatt, interviewed Maltese artist Rachelle Bezzina on how freedom of artistic expression functions within a small state where the distance between central government and individuals is short, where there is little space for anonymity. How effective is ‘arm’s length’ policy in these countries, where funders and sponsors often closely connected with the political classes decide who does and who doesn’t get support.

She calls for artists to foster greater freedom by creating independent spaces and alternative networks outside of the traditional structures.

Read more here: https://www.freemuse.org/rachelle-bezzina-artistic-freedom-exists-in-the-spaces-we-carve-out-for-ourselves

Photo: Kels Camera

25/05/2026

Back in April, Freemuse Research Director, Sara Whyatt, was invited to Kuala Lumpur as keynote speaker at the Freedom Film Network conference on artistic freedom. What a fantastic opportunity to meet with and learn from independent film makers from across southeast Asia about the challenges they face, and most importantly, how they meet these with creativity and courage, sharing experiences and solutions. Inspirational! Do watch this short video.

20/05/2026

Even — especially under the severest pressures — art remains one of our most powerful means of resilience. It’s so good to see this initiative celebrating and protecting one of its most potent forms: film.

The reopening marks a major effort to preserve Lebanon’s rich cinematic history.

06/05/2026

Ahead of Tanzania’s UN Human Rights Council review on 5 November 2026, Freemuse and Selam have submitted a joint Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report on artistic freedom in the country. The UPR process of every UN member State takes place every four and a half years.

While noting progress since 2021, including reduced artist fees and commitments to support the arts, the report raises serious concerns about censorship, restrictive permit systems, repression of dissenting artists, and shrinking civic space.

Freemuse and Selam call for legal reform, independent regulatory bodies, and an end to censorship mechanisms that undermine artistic freedom.

Read the UPR report here:

Ahead of the United Republic of Tanzania’s appearance before the UN Human Rights Council on 5 November 2026, Freemuse and Selam have submitted a joint Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report commenting on the state of artistic freedom in Tanzania. The UPR process of every UN member State is conduct...

05/05/2026

New research from Malaysia reveals how self-censorship is quietly reshaping the arts.

Across film, music, visual arts, and publishing, artists and cultural workers are adjusting, withholding, or rethinking their work to avoid backlash, restrictions, or professional risk.

The report, Understanding the Impact of Self-Censorship Among Artists and Cultural Workers in Malaysia, by ArtsEquator and Five Arts Centre’s RADAR, explores how censorship (direct and indirect) affects creative practice, career growth, personal well-being, and wider cultural discourse.

Drawing on five focus group discussions conducted in July 2025, the study shows that self-censorship is not just an individual choice. It is shaped by the broader cultural, political, and institutional environments artists must navigate.

Read the full report here:
https://radar.artsequator.com/understanding-the-impact-of-self-censorship-among-artists-and-cultural-workers-in-malaysia/

28/04/2026

Across Latin America, artistic freedom is often formally recognised but not effectively protected.

Radar Bulla, Cartel Urbano’s artistic freedom monitoring initiative, documents cases of censorship, threats and criminalisation against artists and cultural workers.

The latest monitoring period, from November 2025 to January 2026, is part of an ongoing collaboration with Freemuse through the Building Bridges initiative, connecting regional documentation with international human rights standards.

Learn more about the cases and the wider monitoring work here: https://cartelurbano.com/bulla/el-riesgo-de-crear-asi-funciona-nuestro-radar-por-la-libertad-artistica

Image: Angel Carrillo

27/04/2026

Cuban artist in prison Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara's letter from Guanajay Prison describes his life in gaol where he has been held for five years, and how being allowed to paint gives him reason to live." I’m allowed to paint. It’s what’s kept me alive. I think that the state knows that if I couldn’t make art, I would die, and that’s why the guards let me do it — so I don’t turn into a martyr. I spend hours and hours a day painting on cardboard, on the floors, on the walls. I paint my desperation, my isolation, my frustration. My paintings are like an almanac: a guide to every day that I’ve spent locked away." Freemuse continues to call for his release, and that of other artists in prison in Cuba and elsewhere. Read more here:

Nearly five years in Cuban prison have taught me that the government won’t loosen its hold on power.

18/04/2026

📣Freemuse’s State of Artistic Freedom 2026 report, Courage is Contagious, documents what Freemuse describes as some of the most alarming conditions facing artists and cultural workers today. Launched yesterday in Brussels at an event hosted by FERA, the Federation of European Screen Directors, the report is now available on Freemuse’s website.

From war zones to democracies under strain, artists in 2025 faced censorship, arrest, violence, displacement, and mounting pressure to self-censor. The report shows how war, authoritarianism, religious extremism, far-right politics, and deepening polarisation are placing artistic freedom under growing pressure across the globe.

The report identifies two overlapping crises shaping artistic freedom in 2025: armed conflict, which destroys cultural life and puts artists directly in harm’s way, and democratic decline, which gives governments new legal and political tools to suppress dissent.

The report maps eight interconnected trends driving this crisis:

📍war and its devastating impact on artists, cultural institutions, and heritage
📍the use of nationalism, religion, and security rhetoric to justify censorship
📍the spread of foreign agent laws targeting artists and cultural organisations
📍the criminalisation of artistic expression through terrorism, blasphemy, obscenity, and morality laws
📍increasing censorship and self-censorship around Gaza and Palestine
📍heightened repression of women artists, LGBTI+ artists, and marginalised communities
📍the targeting of music, film, satire, and online artistic expression
📍growing pressure from non-state actors, including online campaigns, religious groups, and organised crime

The report highlights acts of creative resistance where artists are using music, film, visual art, satire, legal action, and underground networks to challenge repression and defend free expression.

As 2026 report makes clear, artistic freedom is fundamental to democracy and human rights.

👉 Read more: https://www.freemuse.org/freemuse-report-artists-worldwide-face-deepening-crisis

📷 Call to Arms (2015–2025), a sculpture by Elana Mann.

15/04/2026

On 6 April, Cuban artist and human rights activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara ended an eight-day hunger strike in Guanajay maximum-security prison, where he has been arbitrarily detained since July 2021.

Freemuse urges the Cuban authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him, citing grave concerns for his health, safety and physical integrity, end all threats, harassment and reprisals, and ensure he has access to urgent independent medical care.

Read more: https://www.freemuse.org/cuba-free-luis-manuel-otero-alcantara

07/04/2026

Freemuse welcomes the acquittal of filmmaker Rojhilat Aksoy in a case brought under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code. The charges stemmed from an administrative application she filed for the screening of Aurora’s Sunrise (2022), an animated documentary directed by Inna Sahakyan about the Armenian Genocide, as part of a festival.

Aksoy was not involved in the film’s production and, as her lawyer argued, could not be held responsible for its content. Despite this, she faced charges of “publicly insulting the Turkish nation, the Republic of Turkey, and state institutions”. Her acquittal has once again highlighted concerns over freedom of expression and artistic freedom.